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88SN0064 aa~~-~~t-~9s8-sus a~n~-~~;-~9s8-$s 3a~~-}9r}988-6P6 July 27, 1988 BS REQUEST ANALYSIS AND RECOMMENDATION 88SN0064 Springfield Farm Midlothian Magisterial District North line of Midlothian Turnpike REQUEST: Rezoning from Agricultural (A) to General Business (B-3) on 3.01 acres and to General Industrial (M-2) on 17.6 acres. Initially, the applicant intends to stockpile and sell mulch and other landscaping materials on the B-3 portion of the property. Ultimately, a commer- cial/industrial complex with outside storage is planned. PLANNING COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION RECOMMEND DENIAL OF REZONING. RECOMMEND APPROVAL OF A CONDITIONAL USE TO ALLOW THOSE USES OUTLINED IN THE CONDITIONS ON PAGE 2. STAFF RECOMMENDATION Recommend denial for the following reasons: A. The request parcel lies within the boundaries of the Powhite/Route 288 Development Area Land Use and Transvortation Plan. The Plan designates the request parcel for low density residential use (1.5 units per acre or less). The proposed zoning and land uses do not, therefore, conform to the Plan. B. Approval of the request would be premature until such time that public water and sewer and other public facilities are extended to serve the property and surrounding area. At present, staff is preparing a draft for the Upper Swift Creek Plan. Preliminary information indicates that public sewer will not be available to serve the request property within the foreseeable future. It is anticipated that the Plan will recommend that until such time that public facilities are extended, the intensity of development proposed by this application should not be permitted. Approval of any major commercial or residential developments without public water and sewer availability will only place, pressures upon the County taxpayers to bear the burden of extension at some point in the future. C. Area development is characterized by vacant land or single family residences and it is anticipated that area properties will develop for low density residential uses. Approval of this request would be out of character with existing and anticipated area residential uses. However, should the Commission and Board wish to allow limited commercial use of the property, staff would recommend that the property remain zoned Agricul- tural (A) and that a Conditional Use be granted to allow the preparation, storage, and sale of mulch and other landscaping materials. This use would require minimal improvements, thereby allowing easy redevelopment of the site when public water and sewer are available, and the use will have minimal demand for water and sewer. Further, if properly conditioned, the use would be temporary in nature and would not set a precedent for premature commercial development along this portion of the Route 60 Corridor. (NOTE: THE CONDITIONS NOTED WITH "STAFF/CPC" WERE AGREED UPON BY BOTH STAFF AND THE COMMISSION. CONDITIONS WITH ONLY A "STAFF" ARE RECOMMENDED SOLELY BY STAFF. CONDITIONS WITH ONLY A "CPC" ARE ADDITIONAL CONDITIONS RECOMMENDED BY THE PLANNING COMMISSION.) CONDITIONS (CPC) 1. Uses permitted shall be limited to the preparation, storage, and sale of mulch, topsoil and sawdust; landscape timbers; stone, slate, decorative gravel or similar material; bulk fertilizer and manure; and related landscaping and nursery products, plus an associated 2,000 square foot building to accommodate these uses, only. (P) (CPC) 2. The permitted uses shall be set back a distance sufficient so as to be screened f rom view of Route 60 and adjacent prop- erties, and in no case shall any permitted use be located within 100 feet of Route 60. (P) (CPC) 3. This Conditional Use shall be granted for a period not to exceed fifteen (15) years from date of approval and may be renewed by the Director of Planning upon satisfactory demon- stration that the use has not adversely affected existing and future area development. (P) (CPC) 4. Other than the 2,000 square foot building, there shall be no buildings or pole sheds permitted. (P) (CPC) 5. Prior to the release of an occupancy permit, additional pave- ment and curb and gutter shall be constructed along the westbound lane of Route 60 to provide an adequate right-turn lane. (T) (NOTE: The property lies within the Route 60 Corridor Overlay District and must comply with the Corridor Overlay District stan- dards, which among other design criteria, will require that outside storage and loading areas be visually screened from Route 60 and adjacent properties, paving and landscaping of parking area and other design criteria.) 2 88~N0064/BSJULS/JULY270 /~ Location: North line of Midlothian Turnpike, approxi- mately 800 feet west of Old Hundred Road. Tax Map 13 (1) Parcel 15 (Sheets S and 6). Existing Zoning: A Size: 20.6 acres Existing Land Use: Vacant Adjacent Zoning & Land Use: North - A; Vacant South - A; Single family residential or vacant East - A; Vacant West - A; Vacant Utilities: 16 inch water line located at Route 60 and Otterdale Road, approximately 11,500 feet east of request site. 24 inch water line extension proposed, from Coalfield Road west along Route 60 to a future County water storage tank to be located on proper- ty approximately 2,500 feet east of request site. Off-site easements may be required to extend public water. Use of public water recommended. Use of private well intended. Lies in James River sewage drainage basin. At present, public sewer not available. It should be noted that the site drains west- wardly into Powhatan County via Bernard's Creek. It is, therefore, unlikely that sewer service will ever be available from within Chesterfield County. Use of private septic tank and drainfield systems intended. The site lies in the Triassic Basin, which is characterized by soils having severe restrictions on use of septic tank/drain- field systems. Since it is questionable as to how long a private system will function, permitted uses should be restricted to those uses which do not have a high water demand. Use of private wells and septic systems must be approved by the County Health Department. GENERAL INFORMATION 3 88SN0064/BSJUL8/JULY270 Environmental Engineering: Drains to James River via tributaries. No existing or anticipated on- or off-site drainage and/or erosion control problems. Fire Service: Midlothian Fire Station, Company 4~5. At present, fire service capability adequate. However, County water not available for fire protection purposes. As a result, fire protection capability could be severe- ly hindered. General Plan (Powhite/Route 288 Development Area Land Use and Transporta- tion Plan): Low density residential (1.5 units per acre or less) Transportation: This request does not limit the development of this parcel to a specific land use or density; therefore, it is difficult to anticipate traffic generation. Assuming drive-in restaurants are developed on the requested B-3 portion of the property and an industrial park on the remaining portion of the property, this proposed development could generate approximately 6,800 average daily trips could be generated. These vehicles will be distributed along Route 60 which had a 1986 traffic count of 10,465 vehicles per day. This parcel lies within the Route 60 Corri- dor Overlay District; therefore, develop- ment must adhere to access standards. There are no existing or planned crossovers along Route 60 that would directly serve this parcel. Unless access is secured through adjacent properties, access for this development will be limited to right-turn ins and outs. Even with limited use, at a minimum an additional lane of pavement, curb, and gutter should be provided along the entire property front- age. (Condition 6) DISCUSSION Rezoning from Agricultural (A) to General Business (B-3) and General Industrial (M-2) is requested. A commercial/industrial complex with outside storage is planned. Initially, a landscaping business to include the preparation, display, and sale of mulch, topsoil, and sawdust is planned. Ultimately, other commercial and industrial uses are planned. 4 8RSN0064/BSJUL8/JULY270 ~+'' Currently, the area surrounding the request parcel is primarily charac- terized by residential land uses on large parcels or vacant land. For the most part, the area is best characterized as a rural area with scat- tered single family land uses. The request parcel lies within the boundaries of the Powhite/Route 288 Development Area Land Use and Transportation Plan which designates the request parcel for low density residential use (1.5 units per acre or less). The proposed zoning and land use does not, therefore, conform to the Plan. The Planning, Transportation, and Utilities Departments are currently preparing a land use, utility and transportation plan for the Upper Swift Creek area which may include the request site and surrounding properties. The study will address land uses based upon the availability of public water and sewer, the transportation network and other public facilities. Depending upon the results of this study, the kinds of uses requested may ultimately be appropriate with the extension of public facilities to serve the area. At present, staff has completed preliminary background information and research for preparing a draft of the Upper Swift Creek Plan. The draft Plan is tentatively scheduled for completion by June 30, 1988. In addition to other information, the Plan will designate those areas where commercial development should occur, based upon the availability of public facilities. Until such time that public facil- ities are extended, it is anticipated that the Plan will recommend that the intensity of development proposed by this application not be permitted. Further, the request parcel lies within the Triassic Basin which is characterized by clayey soils which are not typically suitable for wells and septic tank and drainfield systems. It is, therefore, questionable as to how long private systems would function. Any failing systems could only place pressures upon the County to extend public utilities to serve existing developed areas in the Basin. Approval of the current proposal, without assurances that public water and sewer will be made available within a reasonable time period, may increase pressures upon the County to extend public utilities. However, should be Commission and Board wish to allow a limited commer- cial use of the property which would not require substantial improve- ments, the property should remain zoned Agricultural (A) and a Condition- al Use be granted to permit the landscaping business (Condition 1). This use should be located to insure that the rural residential character of the area is preserved until such time that more intense development is appropriate (Condition 2). In addition, conditions should be imposed to ensure that the use is temporary and does not set a precedent for prema- ture commercial development. (Conditions 3, 4, and 5) It should be noted that the request property lies within the Route 60 Corridor Overlay District and any permitted use must comply with the Corridor Overlay District standards. These standards area designed to ensure proper land use transition and compatibility by addressing design concerns relative to landscaping, access, signs, lighting, paving of 5 88SN0064/BSJUL8/JULY270 parking and driveway areas, and screening of outside storage and loading areas. Specifically, in addition to other design elements, the outside storage and loading operations associated with the proposed use must be visually screened from adjacent properties and Route 60. CASE HISTORY Applicant and Staff (6/17/88): A meeting was held to discuss the proposed rezoning. Staff noted con- cerns relative to approval of commercial and industrial rezoning along a portion of the Route 60 Corridor designated by the Northern Area Land Use and Transportation Plan for low density residential use. Planning Commission Meeting (6/21/88): The Planning Commission deferred this request for thirty (30) days. Staff (6/22/88) The applicant was advised in writing that any new information must be submitted no later than June 27, 1988, to be considered at the July 19, 1988, Zoning Session. Board of Supervisors Meeting (6/22/88): The Board deferred this case for thirty (30) days pending the Planning Commission's action which was scheduled for July 19, 1988. Staff (6/28/88): To date, no new information has been submitted. Staff, Applicant, and the Midlothian District Commissioner (7/12/88): Following the Planning Commission's June meeting, staff, the Midlothian District Commissioner, and the applicant discussed the recommended con- ditions. There was general agreement that the conditions should be amended as outlined herein. Planning Commission Meeting (7/19/88): The applicant accepted the recommendation that the property remain zoned Agricultural (A) and that a Conditional Use be granted, subject to the conditions on page 2. 6 88SN0064/BSJUL8~3ULY27O ~' `~ There was no opposition present. On motion of Mr. Kelly, seconded by Mr. Warren, the Commission recommend- ed denial of rezoning and approval of a Conditional Use in an Agricul- tural District, subject to the conditions on page 2. AYES: Unanimous. The Board of Supervisors on Wednesday, July 27, 1988, beginning at 2:00 p.m., will take under consideration this request. 7 88SN0064/BSJUL8/JULY270 ~ • ~Qa ~,l,P F y0 ~~ G~J . V N ~J~~ 88 Shoo 64-I